A Course Reflection Paper Example Format – Guidelines for a Perfect Document

You may have never been asked to write a course reflection essay before, but now you are faced with one. Don’t panic. Think of the plusses of such a paper – you don’t have to do any research; you don’t have to write a 10-page treatise; and it is going to follow a very similar format to all of the other essays and papers you have written for your coursework. The difference with a course reflection paper is that it is totally personal and will require to think a bit before you ever tap that first key on your laptop.

You Have Written Reflection Papers Before – You Just Don’t Realize It

In many of your courses, you have written essays and papers that are very similar to a reflective paper. You may have had a field experience; you may have viewed a movie or read a book. And then, you have been asked to provide a personal analysis. How did the experience, the book or the movie impact you? What did you learn from it? While the assignment may have been title something else, you actually wrote a personal reflection paper, just as you are not going to do for a course you have taken.

How to Write a Reflection Paper on a Class

• Before you even think about a thesis for this paper, you will need to ask yourself some questions:

1. What have you learned from this course?
2. Did any previously held beliefs change?
3. Were you challenged or forced to stretch yourself?
4. Did the experience of the course change your thinking about your career or career goals?
5. What are you taking away from this course that you will be able to use in the real world?

• Another great idea before you begin to write is to read a course reflection paper example or two. You can find these online through a simple Google search. Having a sample to pattern yours after will really help in your structural organization, as well as give you points to consider.
• Now you are ready to begin to write.

1. Develop your thesis statement. This is going to be a compilation of your reflections on the course and what the most important takeaways were. If you can identify the important takeaways (which will become your body paragraphs), you have your thesis.
2. It’s a good idea to narrow your “takeaways” to three, so pick the most important ones
3. As with any paper, write your body first. This will allow you to reflect even more as you write, and will give you ideas for your introduction.
4. Your introduction can then introduce your topic (a class reflection paper and the title of the course), and then cite the three impactful takeaways (your thesis).
5. Your conclusion may want to be “forward looking.” You can speak to how the three takeaways will impact you as an adult, either personally or professionally.

The reflective paper on a course can be a very valuable thing. We often don’t think deeply enough about what we have learned and gained from classes we take, and this “forced” reflection make us appreciate our own growth.